


Where This Flower Blooms

by margaerystark



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Canon Compliant, Canon Continuation, Dialogue Heavy, F/M, Introspection, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-28
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:15:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28386858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/margaerystark/pseuds/margaerystark
Summary: Aang finally gets Katara a Panda Lily.
Relationships: Aang & Katara (Avatar), Aang/Katara (Avatar), Mai & Zuko (Avatar), Mai/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 55





	Where This Flower Blooms

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Kataang Secret Santa exchange for my dear @maisblacknails. Everything follows canon compliance up until the end of the events of ATLA. I don't count the comics as canon, but I snatched the 'Mai works at a flower shop' idea from them because I like it. Disregard the rest of the comic plot/characterization for the sake of this fic (and your sanity). I hope you enjoy!

Mai let out a soft sigh, fluttering her bangs. She had already finished crafting all of the flower arrangements on her aunt’s list, looked over the shop’s ledger, and had even painted her nails with a fresh coat of polish. There were days when she was grateful for the mundane nature of her work, free from the terrors of war and the complicated nature of life thereafter. It was precisely why she had taken the job. There was an inherent peacefulness in being surrounded by flowers all day, and the work provided a welcome distraction.

Then there were other days when teenage boredom seemed to permeate her veins like prickle snake venom. Her fingers twitched for a shuriken or a dart, and her body ached for a rush of adrenaline.

It had been years since the war, and she knew that she was one of the luckier ones. Her family had come out on the other side practically unscathed while others had lost loved ones or had to rebuild their homes. Her husband bore scars that were far more biting than hers, both physical and emotional. Still, in the quiet she would sometimes hear the dull thud of Ty Lee’s fists against Azula’s back or the clicking of rat claws scurrying across a prison floor.

She flicked one of the wilting leaves of a nearby plum blossom sapling, watching as it broke off of its branch and drifted to the ground.

The sound of bells chiming alerted her to the presence of a customer before she saw them, and she stood up straight, her eyes darting to the door.

“Mai!” a familiar voice declared, “I was hoping you’d be working today.”

“Aang!” she exclaimed in return, feeling a smile itch at the corner of her lips. 

He looked to be hurrying in her direction but then thought twice, taking a small step back once he reached the counter.

“You can hug me, you know,” she told him, quirking a brow, “Ty Lee is my best friend. I’m used to it.”

He laughed and then lurched forward to wrap his arms around her. She gave him a quick pat on the shoulder before they broke apart. “Sorry, I didn’t know whether it was customary or not to hug the Fire Lady,” he said.

“I’m pretty sure the Avatar can do whatever he wants,” she replied pointedly, “Besides, I’m not sure it’s entirely _customary_ for the Fire Lady to lift a finger, and yet… look where I am.”

Aang chuckled. “It’s nice, isn’t it - that you and Zuko get to make your own rules?”

Mai blinked, once again taken aback by the airbender’s unsullied optimism. “Yeah, it is,” she agreed.

“I’m surprised there aren’t more people in here,” he continued, “I thought everyone would be clamoring to buy flowers from a member of the royal family.”

She half-shrugged. “I suppose the appeal has already worn off. Either that, or any potential customers find me too intimidating.”

“I can’t imagine why.”

He was so earnest in his reply that he almost made her crack a laugh. “So, what brings you to Capital Island today? And where is your girlfriend? I feel like I’ve barely talked to her since the wedding.”

“Well, she’s kind of the reason why I’m here.” A faint blush crossed Aang’s features. “I wanted to get her a panda lily, and I figured your shop was my best bet.”

“A panda lily?” she repeated, folding her arms across her chest, “That’s going to cost you quite a bit of gold, and I can’t offer you a special discount just because you’re the Avatar… My aunt would have my head. Are you sure you don’t just want a moon flower or something?”

“I’m sure,” he affirmed, “Moon flowers are beautiful, but… I want this to have more meaning. Katara deserves it.”

Mai did smile then, unable to help but find his sincerity endearing. “Alright. You’ve been saving up, then? What’s the occasion?” 

Aang brought a hand up to the back of his head, his fingers gently scratching at his scalp as he gave a sheepish grin. “Actually, Toph and I-”

She held up her own hand to cut him off. “Stop talking before you incriminate yourself.” She knew that whenever Toph and money were involved, it was better not to ask questions. “I’m just going to go to the back room and grab that lily for you.”

“Thanks, Mai. I know you can keep a secret so… I’m proposing to Katara.”

Mai stopped in her tracks, her heart giving a small leap. In the days leading up to her wedding, her waterbending friend had expressed a certain interest in the festivities unparalleled by any of the other guests. On the night before the ceremony, Katara had pulled a betrothal necklace out of her bag to show all of the girls, her hands almost shaking with anticipation as she noted the carvings, a combination of both Air Nomad and Southern Water Tribe symbols.

 _“I’m saving it for when Aang proposes,”_ Mai remembered Katara telling them, _“Traditionally men don’t wear them, but I feel like Aang deserves something special.”_

The rest of the room had cooed and fussed over the necklace, but the whole scene had kicked up certain emotions in Mai that she hadn’t expected. She knew that if the Fire Nation had their way, she wouldn’t even be in the same room as Katara, and Aang would most likely be dead. She would have been a participant in his death, and in a way she already felt as though she had blood on her hands after she helped Azula take Ba Sing Se. 

The forgiveness and friendship that Aang and Katara had shown her was less than warranted, and yet it was freely given. She felt a surge of happiness at the thought of them beating the odds and living a joyous life together.

“So, what’s the flower for?” she asked nonchalantly, fishing for a key in her apron pocket that would unlock the back room, “I thought Water Tribe customs involved carving a betrothal necklace.”

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Aang smile wider, seemingly enthused to tell her all about his plans. “It didn’t feel right to give her something that would replace her mother’s necklace,” he explained, “So I got this…” He reached for the satchel at his side and extracted a long, silver chain and a piece of clear quartz. “I’m going to dry the lily and encase it in a locket. That way she can wear it and her mother’s necklace at the same time.”

“That’s... really sweet,” Mai admitted with a small smile of her own, “I’ll be right back.” 

She stepped into the back room, the heavy smell of dampness and flowers filling her nose. She took in a deep breath and searched for the solitary panda lily stored amongst the other flora. If the lilies were rare before Mount Makapu exploded, then they were like diamonds now - only sought out by the elite and collectors. She carefully lifted the flower from the shelf, still potted in volcanic soil. 

She emerged from the back and watched Aang slide a few gold coins across the counter when she had a sudden thought. “Listen, Aang, let me buy this for you.”

“I… What-”

“I have unlimited access to the palace’s reserves, and we have more than enough money to get by. You should use your money for something else or give it back to Toph, I don’t care... I’m pretty sure I owe you for all of the times you saved Zuko’s life.”

Aang’s bewilderment turned to amusement, and he let out a laugh. “I wasn’t keeping score, but… Thank you, Mai. That means a lot.”

They finished up the transaction and spent a few more minutes talking, recounting what they had missed in each other’s lives over the past couple of months.

“I should go,” Aang eventually conceded, glancing out the window at a rapidly setting sun, “Katara is watching Appa. I told her I was meeting with Zuko to do some firebending training.”

Mai gave a short laugh. “I’ll make sure he covers for you if we run into each other again soon. I should close up shop. It was nice of you to stop by. I know it was for the flower, but…”

“Not just for the flower,” he remarked with a grin, “Thanks again, Mai.” 

He gave her another hug and then exited the shop with his panda lily in hand, leaving her alone with her thoughts again. She grabbed a broom hanging from a nail in the wall and started to sweep, busying herself with the end of the day’s work. 

She wrote a quick note to her aunt, vouching that she would bring money for the lily on the morrow. She then locked up and began her short walk back home to the palace, her path illuminated by the bright orange and pink hues of the sunset.

When she glanced upwards, she was met with the sight of a flying bison silhouetted against the sky. She could just make out the shape of two people perched on his saddle wrapped in an embrace. An overwhelming sense of peace washed over her then, and she squeezed her eyes shut, imprinting the memory in her mind. 

Perhaps she would save it for bad days, when recollections of her teenage years threatened to bubble to the surface and take hold of her body and mind. But for now it was unneeded, and the quiet felt like home. 

She picked up her pace. She couldn’t wait to get back to Zuko and tell him all about what their friends had planned.


End file.
